


The Problems with Paperwork

by xCastielsGirlx



Series: Inquisitor Elley [5]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: 5+1 Things, Anxiety Disorder, Comfort, Gen, Inquisitor Elley, NO BETA WE DIE LIKE HEROES, Pre-Slash, Tired Cullen, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xCastielsGirlx/pseuds/xCastielsGirlx
Summary: Cullen thinks he might be working during his sleep.orFive times the Herald secretly did his paperwork, and one time she was caught.
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan
Series: Inquisitor Elley [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077599
Kudos: 18





	The Problems with Paperwork

**One**

It had been a couple of weeks since Elley had woken up in Haven after attempting to seal the breach. Hushed whispers followed her wherever she went and it was unnerving to say the least. To avoid this, she generally found solace in the smithy or in the tavern with Sera. But there were times when even those places were overcrowded. Instead, she would spend most of the time in her small cabin. There wasn't much to do in there, and a majority of the time she found herself staring at the ceiling, wishing the day away. 

It was on one particular evening after their foray to the Fallow Mire to rescue their soldiers, that Elley decided she'd had enough. She rolled off her bed and stepped into the chilly air. A shiver wracked her body and she hugged her arms across her chest. 

Haven was a sight to behold on a quiet night. The rowdiness of the tavern was long-gone, suggesting an incredibly late hour, and the only bodies she could see were those of the patrolling guardsmen. Elley slipped through the front gate, intending on hanging about the smithy, when a flickering of candlelight caught her attention. She glanced over to see it was coming from the Commander's tent. Curious, she approached silently, but could hear nothing apart from soft and gentle snores. She slipped into the tent to see Cullen slumped over his desk, quill still in his hand, creating a large blot on the parchment stuck to his face.

Elley had to suppress a giggle at the sight, and approached gently to see what he had been writing. It turned out to be field reports. 

Pages upon pages of them.

Elley looked, horrified, at the piles. Some had been discarded into an obvious 'read later' pile, others were placed neatly onto a stack that were clearly ready to be handed in. Then there was the stack that Cullen was currently drooling on. Elley eased them out from under Cullen's cheek and froze when he snorted slightly. She waited with bated breath until his breathing evened again, and went to sit on the Commander's bed. Carefully she read through each report. There were some that could've clearly been delegated to other staff, and even some she could've done herself. She glanced quickly at Cullen. His frame was tense, even in sleep, and a frown still present on his face. Under his eyes were dark circles, and Elley could've sworn she saw just a touch of grey at his temples. Maker, the man must've only been in his early thirties, why was he going _grey_?! She skimmed the reports once more, and steeled her resolve. 

It took a few tries to mimic Cullen's handwriting, but she eventually managed it. Her left hand ached by the time the sun was rising, and Cullen started to shift on the desk chair he'd been all night. Elley froze and stood swiftly, silently, from the bed. She gently placed the completed reports on the right pile, and the incomplete ones onto a separate one. 

Moments before Cullen awoke, she had fled from the tent.

**Two**

Voices, clear and strong, reverberated from the war room. The lilted Nevarran from Cassandra, and the deep baritones of Cullen bickered back and forth. Elley froze at the door, frowning. The meeting wasn't supposed to start for another twenty minutes, and the only reason _she_ was arriving early was to avoid the stares as she entered the room. Despite her better judgment, Elley listened in.

"It's all well and good telling me to get more sleep, but I can't exactly relax with all this paperwork!"

"Then delegate," Cassandra replied sharply. Elley nodded in silent agreement from the other side of the door. Cullen scoffed, and there was a pause in the argument.

"It's not easy to delegate to the troops. They're not ready-"

"Excuses! There are more than enough men and women capable of doing reports. _I_ could do some. You could pass some to the herald-"

"Absolutely not." Cullen swiftly cut her off, and there was an even longer pause. Elley could feel a lump in her throat forming. She had always felt an animosity from the Commander, but had chalked it up to the anxiety of meeting new people. To have her fears confirmed...

"I refuse to delegate to someone who can't even look us in the eye and quivers at the slightest of noise."

Cassandra let out a disgusted noise.

"You have not seen her on the battlefield, Commander. It would be in your best interest not to underestimate her."

Elley was surprised by the camaraderie shown to her by Cassandra, and she felt her panic ebb away. Cassandra, the lady who started her introduction by asking Elley why she shouldn't be killed. It was this that gave her the courage to open the door. She ignored the intentional silence and took her place by the war table.

"Herald, you're early," Cassandra commented. Elley met her eyes and smiled.

"I just wanted to get settled before things started," she admitted. Cullen coughed slightly, and Elley shuffled her papers awkwardly. It was a blessing when Josephine and Leliana turned up.

The meeting dragged on for some time, and had devolved into pointed words about whether to go to the mages or templars for support. The sun was setting before it was called to a close, and everyone had become grouchy. Elley lagged behind rubbing her eyes and stared blearily at the pieces on the table. A pile of parchment caught her attention and she picked it up, leafing through unfinished reports. She glanced around the war room, thankful it was empty, and stole away to her cabin. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that the reports had been completed.

This time when Elley left her cabin, she knew exactly where she'd be going. 

The candlelight flickered through the canvas, and Elley was thankful she didn't have to wait long for Cullen to fall asleep. She waited for several more minutes to make sure he was actually asleep before sneaking in and placing the completed reports on its rightful pile. A quick glance showed that there was still a significant amount to go. Glad that Cullen had decided to fall asleep on his bed this time, Elley sat at the desk and continued to work. She worked until the candle sputtered out, and once more stole away into the night.

**Three**

Skyhold was... different. There was a large foyer, ceremonial duties to be performed, more rooms than she could count...

She gravitated towards the undercroft, as was her nature.

Harritt didn't ask many questions, and the silence was comforting. It would take time to settle in- that she knew- but it was still hard to feel safe following the attack on Haven. She could see it in the way the soldiers were on edge, hands itching towards their swords at any given moment. She could see it in the way the civilians looked skywards on the odd occasion with fear in their eyes. But mostly she could see it in the amount of paperwork requests that were piling up on Cullen's desk each time she came to visit. When Cullen had not been looking, Elley had snuck away reports; most of them had changed from scouting reports to questions asking after loved ones, lists of the deceased, and requests for increased patrols and safety measures. These reports she'd take from the bottom of the pile, sure that Cullen had not read them yet. They'd be completed in the dead of night and slipped onto the top of the pile for the next morning.

She continued this for the better part of a week until business in the Exalted Plains required her attention.

Upon returning to Skyhold, Elley took her finished report directly to Cullen. Without thinking, she placed it on his desk onto the 'complete' pile. Cullen didn't even blink.

"Inquisitor, I have a system," he sighed, turning towards the report. He lifted it to place it in the 'to be read' pile, but stopped as he realised it was all complete but for his signature. This time, Cullen blinked twice.

"Looks like you got lucky," he chuckled lightly and Elley smiled, strained. Even though she was just writing reports, the fact that she had been copying his handwriting and managing them in secret would not have been well received. Cullen's chuckle died as he looked back to the paperwork and sighed.

"I swear this pile doubles every time you leave Skyhold," he muttered, rubbing his face. Elley frowned.

"Come on, let's get you out of the office. Take some fresh air, have lunch with me" she encouraged. Cullen glanced at her, and she blushed. This in turn caused him to blush.

"Th-that is only if you'd like to," she mumbled. Cullen gave her a shy smile. 

"It would be nice to stretch my legs," he considered. Cullen then stood from his chair and pulled his furs around him. A smart move, considering how much colder Skyhold was than Haven. He opened the door to his tower, and waved the way forward for Elley. She muttered a quiet 'thank-you' and ducked ahead. The two of them walked the grounds together, any interrupting soldiers and recruits deterred from Elley's presence at Cullen's side. It dismayed her to see this, but she was happy that Cullen was _finally_ getting a break. They ended up in the garden with a small platter of food each, enjoying the crisp air and quiet chatter. Surprisingly, it was Cullen that broke the silence.

"How are you holding up?" Elley flinched slightly at the sudden loud tone but composed herself. She shrugged and ripped up her bread roll, tossing it piece by piece to the birds that had gathered.

"As well as I can be, I suppose. Having thicker walls definitely helps the anxiety," she admitted. 

"What about you? How are you doing?" she asked in reply. Cullen sighed deeply and rubbed a hand down his face. He watched as the birds pecked at the torn bread.

"We lost too many at Haven. I'm still having trouble putting it all behind me," he replied quietly. Emboldened, Elley placed a hand over his and squeezed it tight.

"You won't forget them, and this event will have it's place. But we can move past this."

Cullen stared, wide-eyed. The moments where the Inquisitor was confident and insightful in private were rare. Usually she was anxious and skittish. The silence stretched out between them until Elley realised she was still gripping Cullen's hand. She coughed awkwardly and took her hand back, the cold air rushing over it. 

"I should get back to my paperwork. Thank you for the lunch, Inquisitor." Cullen ducked his head and made his way toward the tower. Elley was blessedly left alone.

**Four**

Elley swore she'd never be dry again. The lashing of rain and wind against her tent did nothing to qualm her nerves, and the rumble of thunder sounded far too close for her liking. The latest crash had her bolting from her tent and in to the nearest one. Panting, she looked around with wide eyes for _someone_. It turned out to be Cullen's tent, and her face went bright red.

It was rare for Cullen to accompany them on missions, but when he did, Elley made sure to make as little contact as possible with the man. She knew she'd be distracted by the way he fought, the strength behind his swings, and so she opted to steer clear. It was better that way. But now, here she was, in his tent. He had looked up when Elley burst through the flap, and raised an eyebrow. They then furrowed at the panicked look on her face.

"Inquisitor," he barked, standing to attention, one hand going to the sword next to his bedroll, the other to his boots.

"What's the situation?"

Another squeak left her mouth, but it was drowned by a huge crash of thunder. Cullen relaxed despite the sound and sighed heavily.

"S-sorry! I was looking for Dorian. I don't-"

_CRASH_ _!_

Elley's face drained of colour. Cullen rolled his eyes and beckoned her over. Elley swallowed a few times, and the next crash had her practically leaping next to Cullen.

"I find it absolutely incredible that a woman I've watched slay bandits and demons, would be scared of thunder and lightning," Cullen mused, turning back to the paperwork that was keeping him so calm in the thunder.

"I find it absolutely incredible that you still don't delegate your paperwork," Elley quipped back, shakily. She had opted to sit on a stool next to the desk and watch as Cullen worked. Cullen hummed noncommittally and continued to pen reports.

"I can-"

"No." Cullen's abrupt rebuttal soured the mood further, and he sighed heavily.

"It keeps my mind from certain things I'd rather not dwell on," he admitted quietly. Elley nodded and left him to it, instead deciding to organise the armour and arms around the tent. It was odd, Elley thought, seeing her commander in just his tunic and underclothes. He looked softer and gentler. She wanted to hug him...

Elley shook her head and grabbed Cullen's sword. She sat back on the stool with a whetstone, cloth, and oil, then started to clean. With the rhythmic movements and noises of preparing armour and arms for battle- as well as the quiet chatter from her companion- Elley was soon able to tune out the thunder. Eventually, the storm subsided to the gentle patter of rain, and conversation had stopped flowing. Elley looked up to see that Cullen had fallen asleep at the small desk piled high with papers. She sighed and gently laid down the gleaming pauldrons before making her way to the desk. At least this time, Cullen wasn't face-down in the middle of a report. Elley took all but a few of the remaining papers and set to work. Every time that Cullen shifted and sighed, she would freeze, terrified of being caught. When Elley found her eyes itching from fatigue, she placed the finished reports back and shook Cullen gently. 

"Cullen, come on, it's bedtime," she mumbled, suppressing a yawn. Half asleep, Cullen stumbled from the desk to his bedroll, taking Elley down with him as he collapsed into the soft furs. Once she'd fallen onto them, she felt it was almost impossible to move. Cullen was a warm secure weight next to her, and the furs were incredibly soft. Against her better judgement, she allowed herself to be pulled into sleep.

There was mixture of sadness and relief when she woke by herself the next day. She stretched out and scratched the back of her head, eager to start the day. As she was about to stand, Cullen ducked under the entrance with two cups of coffee. His neck flushed red, and Elley's face went crimson.

"I brought coffee," Cullen stated, and Elley nodded, gratefully accepting the cup. She took a sip and groaned in pleasure at the rich taste.

"It's perfect," she stated, taking another sip. Cullen smiled slightly.

"I'm glad my coffee impresses," he joked. Elley grinned slightly and sipped again. Cullen made his way over to the desk and frowned.

"Maker, I swear I'm doing papers in my sleep," he muttered. Elley choked slightly on the sip of coffee she'd taken, and Cullen whipped around.

"I-it's very hot?" she excused, eyes watering. Cullen snorted and handed her his waterskin. She took it and thanked him profusely. Cullen had gone back to staring at the paperwork on his desk.

"It must be in my sleep- my handwriting looks slightly different," he mumbled. Elley choked again, but this time, Cullen ignored her.

"I.. uh... I need to get going," she mumbled, leaving the waterskin on the desk and running out.

Cullen could've sworn he saw ink on her hands.

**Five**

The Winter Palace left so much paperwork that Cullen had no choice but to delegate. Elley and Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief at this, and made sure that between them, they had more than Cullen did. Even Sera had grabbed a few reports, stating that the Jenny's could use them. Josephine tried to put up a fight, but Leliana had just chuckled, stating 'let her go, Josie!'. It was due to this that Cullen had started using his free time to look over those completing the reports to make sure that they were up to scratch. Cullen tried to avoid Sera as best he could, but then Sera just sought him out requesting ten different things that would benefit the Inquisition one way or another. He lasted all but three minutes next to Cassandra, who offered painful consequences should he not leave her to it. 

Cullen knew not to disturb Varric. 

He once tried to bother Dorian, but the man was so used to being watched over, that Cullen found himself _bored_ around the mage. He never thought he'd feel like that around a mage from _Tevinter._ This left him with one other person to bother. He climbed the stairs to Elley's quarters and knocked before entering. He'd only been in there a handful of times, and never long enough to really take in the view. He heard a quiet 'come in!', and pushed the door open. 

Elley was sat at her desk, pouring over a mountain of documents. Cullen's eyes widened at the amount of papers on her desk- it was almost enough to hide her completely. She peered at him from over the top of the papers and smiled.

"Ah! You're here! I've got a bunch already completed for you if you wanted to look over them?" she asked. Cullen blinked before nodding and walking forward toward the desk. Her eyes widened.

"The completed ones are on the bed. Take a seat! I've got refreshments coming up in a moment," she added, nodding towards the large structure. The bed was neatly made, and there was a decent sized pile of reports ready for Cullen to go over and sign. He sat on the bed and frowned when a small cloud of dust appeared. He didn't say anything though, and set to work getting comfortable. He was a quarter of the way through the reports when a steaming mug of tea was placed next to him with a small pot of cream and sugar cubes. He looked up to see Elley walking back towards her desk, the other mug in her hands.

"Food will be up soon," she advised. Cullen nodded, adding cream and sugar to his tea. He hadn't had it with cream and sugar since before he became a templar. Such commodities in the circle were rare. His eyes searched the room, and landed on the halla statue above the fireplace. He smiled gently, thinking about the one back in his own office.

The comfort of the bed, the gentle sound of Elley's quill scratching, and the warmth from the tea and fire had Cullen falling into a peaceful slumber within a couple of hours. When he awoke, it was dark outside, and Elley was surrounded by the remains of several burnt-out candles. Her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot. Cullen sat up abruptly, spilling papers onto the floor.

"How long was I asleep for?" he asked. Elley flinched before looking up. She eyed the amount of candles around her.

"About five hours, I think," she estimated. Cullen's face went red. 

"Why didn't you wake me? I'm sure you're eager to go to bed. Maker, what's the time?" Elley blinked owlishly, looked out the window, back to the candles, and then to the fireplace.

"Just after midnight, I believe," she replied, sitting back from her chair and stretching. Cullen winced when he heard the cracking of her back and shoulders. He stood from the bed and straightened his clothes.

"I apologise, Lady Trevelyan. It was rude of me to fall asleep on you." Elley just chuckled. Cullen's ears went red.

"It's fine Cullen. Go get some proper sleep. We'll deal with the reading in the morning." she said gently. Cullen nodded and left her chambers. It looked as though the paperwork pile had only grown since he first arrived. The answer was presented to him however, when he stepped into his tower, and not a piece of it was in sight. 

**\+ One**

Cullen was surprised it took him so long to figure out. After the events of Adamant, everyone was having trouble sleeping. The memories of those lost, the terror from the archdemon, and the heart-stopping fear when they thought their Herald was dead. It was like Haven all over again. There were more reports of people wanting guaranteed safety from demons, dreamers, terrors, and even their allied wardens. Cullen could only reject so many before the work got repetitive.

Today, he had chosen to work at the desk in Elley's room. It was quiet, and he was rarely disturbed during his work up there. Only a few missives knew where to find him in those situations. And Maker bless the Herald for only letting those missives in. Cullen placed his heavy armour down and stretched out before taking a seat at the grand desk before him. He had to admit that one of the bigger reasons he liked working in these quarters was because of the desk before him. It was tidy, laid out how he liked, and had a good source of light. He was just about to start on his reports when he realised something. 

The inkwell wasn't there. 

He frowned and looked around, only to find it on the left hand side of the parchment block. Shrugging, Cullen moved it over to the right and began to write. It was some time before he stopped, his hand cramping at the amount he had worked. He looked around to see the sun setting, and frowned. Usually Elley would have visited her quarters by now, but he had been alone most of the day. The only exception had been the tray of tea and lunch that had been sent up to him.

Cullen stood, stretching his legs and back. He placed his armour back on and headed down the stairs, completed reports under his arm. He handed some to Josephine, others to the quartermaster, and some to Leliana. The rest were for his records. He was grateful to visit Leliana last so there was only a small trip back to his quarters. As he approached the entrance to his tower, he froze. His hearing had picked up the tiniest sound to his right, but it was familiar enough for him to recognise it as his tower door. And out from it, ran Elley. She hopped over the battlement and scaled down the wall before making her way to the main foyer. Cullen frowned and pushed the door open, expecting to be victim to a prank. Instead, there was nothing out of place. Slightly paranoid now, Cullen placed the unfinished reports on his desk, and climbed up to bed.

His dreams were filled with the terrors of Kinloch Hold.

When he awoke the next day, he climbed down to his office and saw that there was less paperwork than usual. He was beginning to get increasingly concerned now. His nightmares were back, he was apparently working in his sleep, and the Inquisitor was sneaking in and out of his office. Wanting to clear his mind, Cullen sat at his desk and ran his hand down his face. He went to grab the inkwell on his right, only to discover it wasn't there. On the brink of losing his mind, Cullen leapt back from his desk to search for it. After calming down, Cullen found it on the left hand side.

And that's when it dawned on him. 

His face turned a deep shade of red, this time in anger. He stormed out of his tower and towards Blackwall, who was already up and tending the horses.

"Where is she?" Cullen barked. Blackwall started and his eyes widened.

"Maker's balls, who?"

"Trevelyan!" he retorted. Blackwall glanced behind him and nodded to the castle. 

"She said something about a meeting with Josie," he mumbled. And with that, Cullen stormed up to Josephine's foyer, slamming the door open. Elley squeaked, and Josephine let out a reprimanding 'Cullen!'

"You!" he shouted, pointing a finger at Elley. Her eyes widened and her face went white. She started to tremble as he stalked towards her. Josephine stood swiftly from her seat and placed herself between Elley and Cullen.

"You lying snake!" he yelled. Josephine placed her hands on his shoulders and tried to calm him.

"Cullen! What on earth is going on!" she asked, taken aback.

"I trusted you and you go behind my back and do _this!_ " Elley flinched as papers were thrown at her. Josephine looked to the papers on the floor, then to Cullen, then back to Elley, and to the papers once more. Leliana appeared from nowhere and grabbed the papers.

"These are your mission reports..." she stated blankly. Elley's pupils dilated. Cullen became enraged.

"How long have you been doing this?" he shouted, and Elley flinched. Josephine pushed him back again, and Leliana gently touched his arms.

"Cullen, I'm sure she-"

"She falsified documents, broke into my private quarters. I thought I was going _mad_. I thought the lyrium-"

"You weren't sleeping!"

Silence descended in the room. Elley had shouted so loudly, so uncharacteristically, that it felt as though time had frozen. She lowered her head in shame, her tone became quiet.

"In Haven. You weren't sleeping properly. And truthfully neither was I. I went for a walk one night and there was a light in your tent. I thought 'hey, what's Cullen doing up so late. It'd be nice to have company'. But you'd fallen asleep at your desk, and there was so much paperwork and you just seemed so stressed-" Elley's voice broke, and tears pricked at her eyes.

"I just wanted to do something nice, but then it got out of hand. I was copying your handwriting because I knew you didn't want to delegate. I'm sorry." she whispered. Cullen's body was still tense but the rage had quietened in his face.

"That doesn't excuse what you did," he stated coldly. Elley nodded, glanced at the crowd that had gathered, then fled to her quarters. Only then did Josephine let go of his shoulders.

It was some time before the two spoke again. War table meetings were cold and short, and Elley spent more and more time out of Skyhold, only coming back briefly to discuss missions and replenish her supplies. She spent a lot of that time in the undercroft. 

Cullen, strangely, was no longer swimming in paperwork. He had a feeling that Josephine and Leliana were to blame for this, however with more time on his hands, he was feeling better within himself. His dreams were still filled with terrors, but he was able to compartmentalise them a lot easier by walking the battlements and sparring with his recruits than he ever did by burying himself in paperwork. 

It was on one of the rare days he devoted to paperwork that he forgave Elley.

A commotion at the gates of Skyhold, followed by a scream had Cullen on his feet and ready for battle within an instant. When he got to the ground, he was met by a large crowd. He pushed his way through to the front to find Cassandra and Dorian supporting an unconscious Inquisitor, and Varric carrying her gear. Cullen was pushed aside by the healer and surgeon who started working as Elley was carried to the newly-built infirmary.

"What happened?" Cullen asked as Varric walked past. Varric heaved a sigh and pushed the gear into Cullen's arms. 

"Exhaustion. Dagger to the gut," he replied monotonously. He rubbed a hand down his face and climbed the stairs to his quarters, leaving Cullen in a whispering courtyards, arms full of bloodied gear.

"Maker, we're done for."

"She looked so still..."

"Ten gold pieces says she's dead."

Cullen snapped out of his reverie and dashed to the infirmary, not stopping once. He shouldered his way through the door and dumped Elley's gear unceremoniously on a bench near her bed. Cullen was about to approach the bed when he was pushed aside by the healer.

"Out of the way commander. This is time critical."

-

Cullen waited what seemed like an eternity before Elley finally awoke. His eyes were bloodshot, and his usually managed scruff was looking more wild than usual.

"How long was I out for?"

Her first words startled him, and he blinked.

"Six days," he mumbled. Elley winced.

"There's gunna be so much paperwork..." she tried to joke, but the chuckling brought nothing but pain in her abdomen. Cullen swallowed.

"I'm sorry. About before." Elley's eyes widened and then softened.

"You don't need to be sorry. I was the one who overstepped." Cullen tutted and faced away, embarrassed.

"Hey, can I have some water please?" she asked, and Cullen nodded, pouring her a glass from the nearby jug. She drank it greedily, spilling some down her front, and then fell back against the medical cot.

"I'm gunna ask Josephine to get comfier cots. These are awful," she stated wrinkling her nose. Cullen frowned.

"Inquisitor-"

"Elley." she reminded him. Cullen nodded.

"Are you okay, Elley. You seem a little..." Cullen fished around for the right word, but kept coming up blank.

"I'm terrified. I almost died, again. I let people down, again. It feels like from the moment I stepped out of the fade, all I've done is fuck up." Cullen was at a loss for words. All he could do was grab one of her hands, and repeat the words she'd said to him long ago.

"It's okay. This event will have it's place. But we can move past this."

She smiled


End file.
